Mechanism for cutting variable lengths of sheets from paper web



2 SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.)

I J. BROOKS. MECHANISM FOR CUTTING VARIABLE LENGTHS OP SHEETS FROM PAPER WEB.

Patents Nov. 4, 1890.

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WITNESSES? ATTOH N EY TN: norms PETER! ca. mmmlrnm, msnmm-ou, n. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shee.t 2.

J. BROOKS. MECHANISM FOR CUTTING VARIABLELBNGTHS 0P SHEETS PROM PAPER WEB.

No. 439,862. Q

1 n. E. mnlmi giiimpggm ll IlHll v1| q mun llfiillllllllllum I" llIllllll -mil lnuiiumlunlrmnmllumgg luum ATTOR N EY 1 2 UNITED STATES JOHN BROOKS, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

MECHANISM FOR CUTTING VARl-ABLE LENGTHS F SHEETS FROM PAPER WEB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,862, dated. November 4, 1890.

Application filed November 22, 1889. Serial No. 331,184. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN BROOKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Cutting Variable Lengths of Sheets from Paper Web, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a part of a cylinder printing-machine embodying my invention, the cutting mechanism being adjusted for cutting long sheets;

:5 Fig. 2, a similar view showing the cutting mechanism adjusted for cutting short sheets; Fig. 3, an enlarged side elevation of the cutting mechanism; Fig. 4, an enlarged vertical section on the line a: m, Fig. 5, showing the cutter, the cutting-cylinder, and the feed-rolls Fig. 5, an enlarged end elevation of the cutting mechanism, and Fig. 6 a plan view thereof on a similar scale.v Fig. 7 is an enlarged diagrammatic view of the two pairs of feed-rolls, the difference in diameter being much exaggerated.

My invention is especially adapted to cylinder printing-presses with a web-supply, and it consists of a rotary cutter and operating mechanism therefor whereby the cutter has continuous rotation but intermittent action. By this means the sweep of the cutter is materially reduced for given intervals of cutting and the mechanism reduced into compact 3 5 form. The surface speed of the cutter is invariably the same, and always in excess of the speed of the paper. The variability in the length of sheets is obtained by varying the length of web fed to the cutter in a given interval by regulating the speed of the feed-rolls.

I have illustrated my invention in connection with a printing-machine in which the impression-cylinder A has continuous rotation, the gripper mechanism thereof receiving the head of the sheet at each second revolution of the cylinder, the cutting mechanism herein being adjustable at variable distances from the seizing-point of the grippers to compensate for the different rates of feed given to the web, and mechanism -for imparting to the cutter a single action at each two revoluprinting mechanism, being operated by means tions of the impression-cylinder, as more fully illustrated and described in Letters Patent No. 4l3,491,issued to me October 22,1889. 1 have also herein shown, in connection with my invention, an auxiliary feed-cylinder B, carrying the grippers 3, which first seize the head of the sheet and transfer the same to the first impression-cylinder A, further details being shown in my patent application, Serial No. 325,895, filed October 3, 1889.

C is the second impression-cylinder, bearing grippers 4; D, the type-bed, and 51 a shaft driven by the printing mechanism at the rate of one revolution for every two revolutions of the impression-cylinder, similar to the shaft similarly designated in said patent.

The carriage E, bearing the cutting mechanism, is movable on the side frames F of the of pinions 10 on the carriage, which engage with stationary racks 11 on the frame F.

12 are conveying-belts, and 13 a bridge composed of parallel bars, whereby the sheets are conveyed from the feed-rolls of the cutter to the grippers 3 of the auxiliary cylinder B. The conveying-belts are driven by the lower feed-roll 101, and are distended over loose pulleys 21 on the stationary arms 22 at a fixed distance from the carriage E, the said beltpulleys and belts intervening the bridgebars.

25 is a bevel-geared counter-shaft in swiveled bearings 30 31 for transmitting mot-ion from the beveled gear 26 on the shaft 51 to the beveled gear 27 on the shaft tO of the cutting mechanism, irrespective ofthe position of the carriage E.

The shaft 40 is the main or driving shaft of the cutting mechanism, and carries the female cutting-cylinder 50. The diameters of the bevel-gears 26 32 are as two to one, respectively, the diameters of the bevel-gears 33 27 being equal, whereby the shaft 40 and cylinder 50 thereon make two revolutions to every one of the shafts 51, or equal revolutions with the impression-cylinder.

The cutter-shaft 60 is driven -two revolutions to every one of the shaft 40 by the spurgear and pinion 41 61, the radius of the knife r66 62, which is fixed, being one-half of cuttingcyl inder. It being desire o cut one sheet for every two revolutions of the impression-cylinder, it becomes necessary thatthe cutter shall act at every second revolution of the female cutting-cylinder 50 or every fourth revolution of the cutter itself. In order to accomplish this, the cutter-shaft 60 is journaled in the free ends of the arms 63, t'ulcrumed on the shaft 70, and a slight vertical motion is imparted to the shaft 60 sufiicient to render the cutter active or inactive at desired intervals when. it passes the paper.

The vertical motion of the shaft 60 is imparted by the cam 80, having a circular periph ery, which normally elevates the knife'out of action,.and a single depression 81, which permits. the knife to drop-into an active position. The periphery of the cam 80 bearson the periphery of thedisk 64', loose upon the shaft 60.,therefore acting as an anti-friction roller. The-cam S is loose-upon the shaft 40, being driven without reference to. it, and to the'side-ofthe cam-disk 80 is fastened a spurgear: 82, also loose upon the shaft 40, and which is driven byapinion 65, fast to the shaft 60.

The pinion: 65 and spur-gear 821 are propor- 1 tioned oneito four, whereby the depression SI of thezcam. SO-passes the roller 64 and allows the; knife to. enter'the groove 52' of thecylin- (161F5001108Z3il7 every four revolutions of. the cutter.

Itisto be: noted. that. the cylinder 50' may be. provided with: any number. of grooves 52 atintervals divisible by the-circumference of the pjathof the cutting-knife, and that the feed-rollers 100 1.01'.

the act of cutting may be performed more 81:; on be? driven by differently-proportioned gears: 6.5 8.2; than those showmshould: it be desiredtocut shorter sheetsathan' those within the limits herein: intended.

The: surface'speed' of the cutter and the periodsofcuttingbeing-at fixed intervals, the variation in. the. length of sheet isgoverned by the: speed. at which theweb is fed by the I. find in practice that advantageously when the rotary cutter is drivenat. a. surface speedconsiderably in excessof the speed. of the paper than when driven: at an equal or nearly equal speed. therewith. The surface speed of the cutter herein given is sufficient, whereby the necessary variation. in the speed. of the paper to cut differentlengths of sheets may be made withinarange below the speed of the cutter.

The feed-rolls 100 101 are driventhrough transmitting=gears- 102, 102, from the inter-- changeable gear 103 on. theshat't 40,.which gear 103 maybesubstitutedby different sizes to.vary' the speed-of: the feed-rolls, the transmitting-gears 102. being carried on gudgeons 1.04 on slotted; sectors 105, concentric with the gears. on theshaftsllO, 1-11, whereby said gearsl02; are suitably adjusted. and secured byrelamping-screws 106. Motionis thereby transmitted to the several: feed-rolls through the respective trains of gears illustrated in Fig. 3, namely, gears 120 121 122 123. These gears are of substantially equal diameters; but the circumferences of the second pair of feed-rolls 101 are a little greater than the cirrolls 100, being carried over the idle-roller I 131 and directed to said feed-rolls in the various positions of adjustment of the carriage E.

In the operation of the machine there are but two adjustments necessary-that of the change-gear 103 andthat of themovable carriage' Ein order to-determi-nethe length of sheet to'becut.

For convenience a suitable indicating-scale may be placed upon the ,frame F to denote the length of sheet in .inches corresponding to any givenposition of the carriage, and the change-gears be suitably numbered correspondingly thereto.

Havingthus fully described my invention,

. what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Inmechanism for cutting variable lengthsof sheets,.the-combi-nation of tension feed-rolls having. variable adjustment of speed, anda: rotarycutter having a. given .speed. and an orbitofi variable center, so" as to rotate-in or out of cutting contact with :thepaper.

carm 8.0 maybeara: plurality of depressions 2. In mechanism-for cutting variablelengths of sheets, the combination of. tension feed- ,rollshaving: variable adjustment of surface speed, and arotary cutter having a: given sur- 3 face speed in excess of the range" of variability in the surface speedof the tensionfeedirolls, said feed-rolls being mounted upon op- 1 posite sides of the.-cutter, w'hereby'the paper is maintained under tension in passing the cutter,.substantiallyas described.

3. In mechanism forcuttingvariable'lengths of sheets, the combination-of feed-rolls-havingvariable adjustment of speed, arotarycutter, and a female on tting-cylinderhavin ggiven speed, said cutter having its axis of rotation movable toward or" from said cylinder.

4. In a paper-cuttingmechanism for severing the-web transversely,.the combination of tension feed-rolls, a rotary transverse-cutter having the shaft about which it rotates movabletoward or from the paper,and acam controlling; the movementof said shaftiautomati- .cally at given periods of rotation. thereof.

5. In paper-cutting mechanism for severing the web transversely,the combination of tension. feederolls, a.rotary transverse cutter having it's'shaft movabletoward or from: the

manner described.

6. In paper-cutting mechanism for severing the web transversely, the combination of feed-rolls, a rotary transverse cutter, a female feed-rolls, a rotary transverse cutter, a female cutting-cylinder, the shaft of the cutter being movable toward or from said cylinder, a circular cam having a depression acting on the shaft of the cutter, and gearing whereby the cam is rotated in given relation to the rota tion of the cutter.

8. In a mechanism for cutting variable lengths of sheets, the combination of a rotary cutter, a driving-shaft, as 40, for said cutter, having a given speed, a change-gear on the driving-shaft, and two sets of feed-rolls, one at either side of the cutter, one set having a greater circumference than that of the other, gearing on said feedrolls driven by said change-gear, and a variable adjustment of speed lower than the given speed of the cutter, substantially as described.

9. In mechanism forcuttingvariable lengths of sheets, the combination of a rotary cutter, a female cutting-cylinder, movable journals bearing the cutter at variable distances from said cylinder, a circular cam loose on the cylinder-shaft having a depression, a roller on the cutter-shaft engaging with the periphcry of the cam, a spur-wheel on the cam, and a pinion on the cutter-shaft giving the cam a single revolution for a plurality of revolutions of the cutter, feed-rolls for the paper, gears thereon, and a change-gear on the shaft of said cylinder, imparting motion to the feedroll gears through adjustable transmittinggears, whereby the paper is fed at a variable adjustment of speed lower than the given speed of the cutter. r

10. In a paper-cutting mechanism, the combination of a rotary cutter-,a female cuttingcylinder, said rotary cutter making a plurality of revolutions for each revolution of the said cylinder, mechanism, substantially as described, for feeding a determinable amount of paper at the intervals of cutting, and mechanism, substantially as described, for advancing and retracting the orbit of thecutter toward or from the said cylinder at intermittent periods in the rotation of said cutter.

JOHN BROOKS.

Witnesses:

H. F. PARKER, OHAs. HANIMANN. 

